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Staple Corner: How to Make Your Own Garam Masala Spice Blend

As some of my readers might not have ready access to some of the spice mixtures that will appear in these pages, I will be providing recipes so you can make your own at home. Since garam masala is so often used in so many Indian dishes, I'll provide a few variations here for my readers to try.

Toast the seeds and spices in a heavy pan over low heat for about 15 minutes to release the flavor, stirring occasionally. Crush the cinnamon sticks and remove the black seeds inside the cardamom pods. Discard the pods. Grind to a fine powder and store in a tightly-sealed jar in a cool and dry place for up to 4 months. Use an opaque jar or keep the spice blend away from light.

Makes about 1 cupDelhi-Style Garam Masala: a simple dry-roasted version of garam masala with a sweet, earthy and pungent essence

Toast the seeds and spices in a heavy pan over low heat for about 15 minutes to release the flavor, stirring occasionally. Crush the cinnamon sticks and remove the seeds inside the cardamom pods. Discard the pods. Grind to a fine powder and store in a tightly-sealed jar in a cool and dry place for up to 4 months. Use an opaque jar or keep the spice blend away from light.

Makes about 1 cupBengali-Style Garam Masala: a robust and extraordinarily fragrant dry-roasted version of the classic Indian garam masala spice blend

Toast the seeds and spices in a heavy pan over low heat for about 15 minutes to release the flavor, stirring occasionally. Crush the cinnamon sticks and remove the seeds inside the cardamom pods. Discard the pods. Grind to a fine powder and store in a tightly-sealed jar in a cool and dry place for up to 4 months. Use an opaque jar or keep the spice blend away from light.

This is awesome! Many years ago, I had the wonderful experience of enjoying a number of East Indian dishes prepared by an Indian woman - and garam masala was a staple "spice."

I've never been happy with the commercially purchased garam masalas - now that I know what makes it up, I can make my own until I'm happy!

And Fergy - ground bay leaves are great. If you ever make your own soups - grind those bay leaves. Split Yellow pea soup with a good volume of ground bay leaves is very tasty. The flavour of the bay leaves is imparted to the soup far better than whole bay leaves that are later removed.

Based in London, Ontario, a veteran vegetarian for 23 years serves up a collection of delicious culinary creations from her kitchen, with an emphasis on spicy Indian dishes and whole foods. If you want to know what sensible vegetarians eat, Lisa's Kitchen is the place to be.